Page 17 of Tangled Up With You

He removed a few strands of hair that had gotten stuck in my lip gloss and tucked them behind my ear. The move was affectionate, but in a friendly way. Once we set that boundary, he hadn’t tried to cross it, which I was grateful for. “Not at all. I’ve had a great time tonight.” His eyes traveled to something behind me and the smile on his face turned a bit wicked. “Even with the daggers a certain cowboy has been glaring into my back all night long.”

“What?” I squeaked out. I tried to whip around, but Tanner held me firmly in place. “Ah ah ah. Don’t look. Keep acting like you don’t notice he’s there; it’ll drive him even crazier.”

My chest tightened and I started to feel short of breath. Now that Tanner had mentioned him, I could practically feel Connor’s eyes drilling into the back of my head. The desire toturn around and look at him was so strong I had to bite my lip to keep from giving in.

Part of the reason I drank so much tonight was to dull the feel of his eyes tracking me as I moved through the reception. I would have been lying if I said I hadn’t noticed him. It was impossible not to. If the man looked incredible in a pair of jeans and a simple T-shirt, it was nothing compared to how good he looked in a tux. He rocked the holy hell out of it. My skin flushed and my blood heated at the first look I got of him before traveling south and centering low in my belly. If I needed proof that I was still as attracted to him today as I had been the first time I laid eyes on him, the way my nipples firmed into tight peaks at the sight of him in that sleek suit was more than enough.

The entire time I stood at the altar while Zach and Rae said their vows, I’d been staring at the man out of the corner of my eye. While Lennix and I wore beautiful satin dresses the color of autumn leaves, Rae had chosen black on black for the men, complete with classic bow ties. The woman might have taken to ranch life like she was made for it, but her sense of style hadn’t faded. Zach, Ray, and Connor looked amazing.EspeciallyConnor, as much as I hated to admit it.

I’d managed to push the man out of my head with enough dancing and booze, but now that Tanner brought him up, my whole body tingled with awareness.

“I-is he looking?”

Tanner’s eyes glinted with mischief as they came back to me. “Sweetheart, that man’s been staring all night long.”

I squeezed my eyes closed, pulling in a wobbly breath. I suddenly felt out of sorts, and I didn’t know what the hell to do about it. “It’s really late,” I said quietly as the final strains of the song we were dancing to filled the tent. “We should probably go.”

He studied my features, most likely examining my level of intoxication. “You need me to drive you home?”

I smiled up at him with appreciation. “Thanks, but I could actually use a bit of fresh air. I think I’m gonna go for a walk. I’ll order an Uber when I’m ready to head home.” At the skeptical arch of his brow, I added, “We might be a small town, but we still have ride-shares.” I widened my eyes dramatically. “We also have DoorDash and Instacart.”

“I believe you, but are you sure it’s safe for you to go wandering around by yourself? It’s dark, and you’ve been drinking.”

I placed my hand on his chest in a reassuring gesture. “I know this ranch like the back of my hand. Maybe even better. And I’m only heading out to the barn to see the animals. I like to do that to decompress.”

The lines that had formed around his eyes and mouth smoothed out as the concern melted from his expression. “Okay. If you’re sure.”

“I’m positive. Thank you so much for coming with me tonight. I really did have a great time.”

“I did too, sweetheart.” He hooked my arm through the crook of his elbow and slowly led me out of the tent. “I have an early flight tomorrow, so I probably won’t see you before I head out. I just want to tell you that I’m really glad I got to meet you. These two weeks were exactly what I needed. The lodge and this town were the breath of fresh air I’d been looking for, and getting to know you made my time here even better.”

I used my hold on his arm to pull him to a stop and lifted up on the toes of my strappy heels to press a kiss to his cheek. “I’m really glad I met you too, Tanner, and I hope you come back any time you need another breath.”

“Oh, I have a feeling I’ll be back,” he said as I used my thumb to swipe off the gloss I’d left behind on his cheek. “Take care of yourself, Ivy Young.”

“You too, Tanner Fine. Don’t go getting yourself killed next season. I think you’ve turned me into a bit of a hockey fan, and I’ll be severely disappointed if something happens to my favorite goalie.”

“Yes ma’am.” He let loose a warm chuckle as he took a step back. “Get home safe, okay?” he requested as he tucked his hands in the pockets of his slacks.

“I will. I promise.”

I stood in place, watching as he turned on the heel of his shoe and started in the direction of the lodge. It didn’t take any time at all for his big frame to get swallowed up by the dark night, and once it did, I spun in the other direction toward the barn.

There was something about it that comforted me. The sounds and the smells of the animals was calm and familiar. I didn’t mind the manure. It was impossible to work on a cattle ranch—even at a fancy lodge like Second Hope—and not get a whiff of manure at least once a day. I barely noticed it anymore.

The lights inside the barn shone brightly like a beacon in the darkness. The stalls that lined both sides of the huge structure were filled with horses, all of them tucked in for the night. I petted the noses of the ones that poked their heads over the stall doors out of curiosity as I moved through, my heels clacking against the hard ground. I made it to the doors at the back and pushed one open, setting off a loud creek that disturbed the otherwise peaceful silence.

While I liked the horses, the animal I liked to visit the most was an ornery goat named Gretel. Most people gave her a wide berth since she was known to try and take a chunk out of your ass if you got close enough, but she and I seemed to have a kind of kinship she didn’t have with anyone else. I think weunderstood each other. I accepted her as the asshole she was and didn’t try to change her, so she tolerated me.

“Hey there, pretty girl,” I cooed once I reached her. I braced my arms on the top rung of her wooden pen and stared in at her. The other goats were all curled up asleep, but it was almost like she knew it was me walking through the barn so she got up to greet me.

She came up to the railing and bleated loudly, butting her head against the palm of my hand when I reached through. Her way of demanding pets. I was more than happy to comply.

“Did you have a good night?” I asked like the animal would suddenly develop the gift of gab and answer back. I knew it was ridiculous to stand here and talk to a goat, but I liked these little one-sided conversations. Her silence made it possible for me to come up with her responses. Gretel and I had some great conversations this way. Shealwayssaid what I wanted to hear.

“Yeah, I had a good night too. Surprisingly. But you know what they say... when in doubt, get drunk,” I finished on a giggle

The air around me suddenly grew thick, crackling with a familiar energy that could only mean one thing. I didn’t have to look to know who’d just entered the barn. Every single neuron in my body sensed him, and like a magnet being drawn to its partner, I had no choice but to turn around.

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